Lots of things going on this past week, although one of 'em wasn't the installation of our solar panels. We had a large band of rainstorms file through the valley, which meant that the men couldn't get any work done. I happened to like those rainstorms; they were quite well-mannered. In our area, a nice steady soaking rain, and-- get this-- it would rain steadily all morning, then clear off for my afternoon pool sessions, then cloud up to rain some more afterwards. Now... I'm just not used to Mother Nature being so cooperative!
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Sue Grafton & Barbara Peters at the Biltmore |
Last night, Denis and I headed back out to The Poisoned Pen for Laurie R. King's launch of her latest book, The Bones of Paris. King is my personal summer discovery (I'm already on the third book of her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series), so I was thrilled to learn that she'd be at my favorite bookstore. Little did I know that the evening would be even more special than I'd anticipated: another favorite author, Betty Webb, attended. She sat down next to Denis in the row in front of me, and all three of us wound up chatting about Iceland and Scotland. How cool is that?!?
Next week, there are no trips to The Poisoned Pen, but we're scheduled to have the solar panels installed. On the next link round-up you may be able to see the finished product on our roof and lapping up the bountiful Arizona sunshine!
Bookish News & Other Interesting Stuff
- For any of you Diana Gabaldon fans-- they're cast Jamie; now they've cast Claire.
- The BBC has begun broadcasting a six-part series called "Young Montalbano" (for any of you who are fans of Andrea Camilleri's mystery series). Keep your eyes peeled for it because it's not on this side of the pond yet. I've seen the first episode, and I really liked it-- even though I thought the actor portraying Catarella was a bit over the top.
- 71% of travelers prefer print books over eBooks. All I can say is that they (for the most part) must be people who read a dozen or less books per year. Y'all know what a bookaholic I am, and I would not have survived our month-long trip to the UK without my Kindle and my Nook. There's no way I would have had enough room for a month's worth of books and clothes!
- Two people sounding off on why it's trendy to hate Amazon. Opinion #1. Opinion #2.
- The future of the traditional bookstore in a digital world.
- The "Netflix for Books" is here.
- Life in the new Sherlockian Renaissance.
- A lake the size of Delaware has been discovered beneath the desert in Kenya; however, the news isn't all good.
- Having grown up in tornado country, I admit that-- although these photos are beautiful-- they scare the bejabbers out of me.
- A librarian in Columbus, Ohio, quietly saved a million dollars to give back to libraries.
- J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. have announced a new movie franchise set in the wizarding world!
I ♥ Lists
- The top ten literary landmarks of the South.
- The most popular Nobel Prize in Literature Laureates.
- 21 children's book characters born to be Halloween costumes.
- 9 of the most sympathetic villains in books.
- 10 famous books with lesser-known subtitles.
- The most stylish people in literature.
Book Candy
- The Pages chair.
- 16 libraries you have to see before you die.
That's all for this week. Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll have a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure. Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!
I loved the Young Montalbano series, just wonderful -- and as a friend said, "and those young Italian actors are much cuter than the 'balding middle-aged Montalbano.'"
ReplyDeleteThe young detective isn't cynical or jaded yet; he's not a curmudgeon so all of the cases are fresh and new and he's adventuring into new territory with each case.
I also liked the other young actors, and the older actor who plays Fazio quite well. Catarella was the way I pictured him in the books -- always making mistakes, yet eager to please -- and quite hilarious. If I mention him to a Montalbano fan, he starts to laugh.
I find the comic relief a wonderful and essential part of the charm of this series.
I may have to rewatch this series.
And yes, Laurie King's Mary Russell series is excellent.
For some reason, the actor portraying Catarella didn't hit the right note for me. I absolutely love that character in the books. I, too, am enjoying the younger Montalbano in this series.
DeleteCathy - Oh, it sounds like Launch Night was great! And now I've got that earworm too! ;-). I'm sorry to hear that the solar panels didn't get finished, but I have to admit I like rain. We don't get enough of it where I live, so for me, rain is a something to be enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteWe don't get much rain at all here either, Margot. Besides, the rescheduling suits our plans much better.
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